An additive foray for stories, pictures and information about the ancestry and descendants of the James Family. Remember to wear your helmet, drink plenty of fluids, and enjoy yourself. The research on this blog and on Ancestry.com is for me, my children, my grandchildren, future generations and anyone else who is interested.
The family unit is the most important organization in time and eternity.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Stories About Tennessee

An Account Written By the Great Great Grandson of Tennessee's Sister Samantha

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Entry in notebook of George Solon Huggins as Administrator of Claude James Estate, 1953:May 29 Grave marker for Tennessee James $53.55.

--------------------------------------------- Notes of George Solon Huggins, circa 1980 about Garrett Lane, Tennessee's Father

Garrett Lane was mostly French.

Killed in a gold mine in Cal. in 1851. (The report was that the hoist broke with him as he was being brought up out of the mine the day before he was to have returned to his home in Kan. His partner got the mine, according to their agreement).

From WorldConnect on Rootsweb.com

The Solon James-Huggins Families

The Solon James-Huggins Families by Terry Mendenhall

Soon after the Civil War, David Solon James [an ex-Union soldier] and his wife, Tennessee A. James, moved from Kansas to Indian Territory. "Aunt Tenn," as she was later to be affectionately called, was one-eight Cherokee thus qualifying the family to stay here although Solon was a white man. They settled in the community that later became known as Hickory Grove. Several children were born to this couple, including Lorenzo, Albert, Della, Lulu, Jesse, Calvin, Reece and Claud. Solon became active in the community and served several terms on the newly organized school board. He was known as a fairly prosperous farmer.

When the Dawes Commission made up the Indian rolls and allotted land, some of the children were grown and did their own enrolling. Most of them were enrolled as one-sixteenth Cherokee but some listed themselves as one-thirty-second which gives a little strangeness on the rolls.

As the children got old enough, they attended the Cherokee seminaries at Tahlequah. When Calvin was grown, he hopped a freight train to find a place in the United States that suited him best. After several months, he swung off one of the trains as it went through Fairland and said, "This is it." He spent the rest of his long life there, part of which was spent working for the Indian commission.

In 1898, four young men came into Indian Territory as entertainers [singing] from Rogers Academy of Rogers, Arkansas. One of them was Robert Lee Huggins. After a couple of summers through here singing and teaching "singing schools," he decided to stay. He not only taught "singing school" but taught school at Grove Aurora [south of Fairland] and Hickory Grove.

In 1901, he became interested in one of the James girls, Lulu. They were married January 2, 1902 and lived in the Hickory Grove community. She, as an Indian, was allotted land one-fourth mile north of is now Sailboat Bridge. They were active in community affairs and trading and became fairly prosperous at farming and trading. He served on the school board, as a Sunday school teacher and superintendent, three terms as county commissioner, and as a deputy sheriff.

To "Bob and Lulu were born the following children: Shink, R.L., Jr., Helen, Solon, Wyly, Gore, Edgar and Shasta. As of this date [August 1977], Shink has retired from U.S. Emigration Service in Laredo, Texas. R.L.,Jr., died in Tulsa. Helen died in California. Solon lives in the Hickory Grove area. Wyly lives in California. Gore, a retired Lt. Colonel, is in Grove. Edgar died in the Hickory Grove area. Shasta, better known to her school friends as "Colonel," lives in California.

The James are all gone from the area but their blood line through the Huggins is still here. Solon married Zelma Wilbanks whose people have been in the Afton area since soon after the Civil War. They have six children: Majel, Coleen, Kay, Bob, Eileen and George. Gore is in Grove with his wife Edna. To them was born Bob, Jim, Denny, Ann and Bill. Edgar's widow, the former Alice Huffaker, is now Mrs Charles Murphy. Alice and Edgar's children are Edgar, Charley and Mickey.